GREENWICH, Conn. – Students at Parkway School in donated more than $3,000 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) after a Pennies For Patients collection last month.

The children donated $3,728.92 by collecting change and money under couch cushions, jacket pockets and cars. They collected the money from Jan. 27-Feb. 7. Parkway is for students in preschool through Fifth-Grade.

Students in the fourth-grade class of Kristin Marchetti collected the most cash and were to be rewarded with a pizza party. Instead, the students chose to forgo the pizza party and donated the money to the Wilton-based LLS.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

Parkway School held an assembly to present a giant “check” for LLS to Barbara Lovely, Campaign Assistant at the Connecticut chapter of LLS. She is also a Parkway School mom. Presently there are 300 schools across Connecticut participating in this program.

Parkway School’s nurse Julie Prescott was instrumental in the success of this program. She visited classrooms to talk to the kids and collected and counted the money.

The money raised goes to research at Yale and the many patient services provided to local families. The students have helped work to change and better the lives of patients struggling with these cancers in Connecticut.

For more information about the Pennies For Patients program or to get your school involved go to www.schoolandyouth.org‎ or call 203-379-0445.